Oceanic shark populations have collapsed by 98 percent over the past 60 years! The oceanic whitetip shark, scalloped hammerhead, and great hammerhead have all met a similar fate, and are now considered critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. These top predators play a crucial role in the ocean's food web, in part by keeping smaller predators in check.

One of the main concerns is open-ocean fishing techniques. Long lines studded with hundreds of hooks or enormous purse seine nets often accidentally ensnare sharks, and their use has doubled in the last half century, while the number of oceanic sharks caught in them has approximately tripled. The impact of overfishing, accidental or otherwise, on sharks will hopefully motivate our government to impose more regulations and to limit the international trade of threatened shark species.

We must continue to keep everyone aware and continue to impose fishing restrictions on these beautiful creatures that are now near extinction!